Crimson Revolution
by jrdbnta
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto has a choice: to stand fast with the old order, or to join the revolution sweeping the world.


**Crimson Revolution**

**Prologue: A Butterfly's Ripples**

For Konoha, the winter months had a tendency to be short and dreary, but this day seemed to do its best to fight all expectations. Though late, the sun had yet to set. The few clouds that remained in the sky grew smaller as if being burned from existence. Though faint, the hustle and bustle of the market street could still be heard; merchants of exotic foods, trinkets, and many other products hawked their wares to the remaining shoppers hunting for good deals. The aromas of food being cooked could be smelled from all across the Hidden Village. Like a moth drawn to the flame, the beleaguered men and women who made Konoha their home followed their noses to a well deserved meal and rest.

For the Third Hokage, it was the kind of day that reminded him why he had come out of retirement three years ago. Throwing the most recent memo from the Military Police onto a stack of similar documents piled high next to his desk, he stepped toward one of the many windows that lined the outer wall of his administrative office.

Sarutobi's eyes were drawn to a young girl as she jogged away from her team and jounin instructor. Long brown hair whipped in the wind around a long face with the red markings of the Inuzuka clan as she began to run, first on the street and then along a wall. His eyes crinkled in mirth as the kunoichi performed flashy but basic acrobatic feats along the walls and rooftops to an audience of awed children. Whooping and hollering, the pack of tykes followed the girl as best they could before she slid down a spiraling handrail and out of sight.

_To be young and just learning how to climb walls and walk on water. _Chuckling, he turned his focus to the many squads of ninja traveling across Konoha's skyline. Groups of chuunin and jounin moved quickly and silently along their assigned patrol routes. ANBU were on the move as well, some joining the chuunin and jounin patrols, while others left the village in flickers of movement that Sarutobi kept track of easily.

Though he tried not to, his eyes were drawn to the four ANBU teams that were not moving. Standing still, the sixteen ninja were a silent, oppressive presence to the tall walls and austere buildings that comprised the Hyuuga compound. Sarutobi's mirth died a slow and painful death as he was reminded of what had happened the night before, what the village and the majority of the ninja under his command did not yet know. He let out a deep sigh, and felt all his years hit him at once. It was a tragedy, a crime and a shame, and likely all his fault.

The slight sound of displaced air was the only cue he needed. Closing the window, Sarutobi stared at the reflections of his closest confidants. "Report."

Mitokado Homura stepped forward, loosening his thick, white shawl before beginning. "The treaty has been signed, dated, and notarized by the Kumo delegation. Peace, of a sort, has been achieved."

"Of a sort, indeed," Sarutobi said calmly. His eyes flickered to the reflection of his other former teammate.

"The merchant guilds are clamoring for less taxes," said Utatane Koharu as she squinted at Sarutobi's reflection. "Or a tariff on imported goods." She shrugged her shoulders. "One, or the other. Perhaps both."

The last of the three snorted in disgust. "They are overstepping themselves, again," said Shimura Danzo.

"They are merchants, Danzo, of course they'll stretch themselves too far."

"You know as well as I do that those guilds are controlled by the Uchiha Clan. Anything that they say is suspect."

"Perhaps," said Sarutobi before the argument escalated. He motioned towards the stack of paper next to his desk. "I have also received a request from Fugaku for additional funding after last night's incident." Silence met his statement. His eyes flickered again, this time focusing on his longtime friend and rival.

The former leader of Root reached into his robe. Removing a sealed scroll, he tossed it towards Sarutobi, who caught it without bothering to turn around. Quickly forming a chakra scalpel on the thumb of his free hand, he pricked his index finger. As the blood pooled on the top of the digit, he infused it with his chakra. Smearing the blood and chakra mixture over the seal broke it, and as the scroll unraveled he began to read; he finished quickly, the scroll was less than a half meter in length, and when done he threw it into the air. A one-handed Tora seal and a breath of fire later, and the scroll and its contents were no more than ash.

"So," said Sarutobi, "The Hyuuga heir has been kidnapped, and her father lies on death's door. We know that it was Kumo who was responsible, but we lack the proof needed to justify burning our newest bridge to its foundation." He sighed, turning around and looking at his three advisers in turn. "What would you suggest we do?"

Homura pushed his glasses up his nose. "I would first like to know what was written on that scroll."

"Nothing important," said Danzo, "Only what could be gleaned from the Kumo delegate."

The other elder's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "What could be – you tortured him?"

"And how would such information be deemed unimportant," asked Koharu as she turned her gaze on Danzo.

The bandaged man shrugged his free shoulder. "Because while he was aware of such plots, he was not aware enough." Danzo snorted, in amusement or irritation, no one was able to tell which. "The man was kept perfectly in the dark about the operation. What little he knew was how much _we_knew prior to the kidnapping."

Homura and Koharu looked at each other, displeasure apparent on both their faces. "And nothing could be gained from the wounds on Hiashi's body?"

Danzo shook his head. "The bruises match up with strikes from a taijutsu style native to the Land of Fire. The burns on his arms have been attributed to a lightning technique, while the crushed legs can be blamed on an earth one. The cuts on his body were caused by a weapon enhanced with wind chakra."

Homura's omnipresent frown deepened. "Nothing from Kiri or the Land of Water?"

"No, though I imagine that the weapon used was made there."

"They can't expect us to believe such an obvious set-up?"

"Of course not," said Sarutobi, "It's the barest, thinnest of diversions, but enough of one that the Fire Lord will not allow us to risk open war." His eyes flickered to each person in turn. "Nor is it enough to earn his consent to a secret one."

"Perhaps," said Danzo after a brief pause, "Your former students could be called upon?"

"Impossible."

"But yet-"

"No, Danzo. None of them can be called upon for this. Perhaps Jiraiya, but he will not be in contact for a fortnight."

"He is too visible, too well known," said Homura.

"But his network could provide the information we need."

Koharu glared at him. "And who, exactly, would put that information to use? Tsunade? She has up and disappeared somewhere near the boarder with Ame, her and her apprentice!"

Danzo's silence, however, told Sarutobi all he needed to know. "No. Absolutely not."

"His status as a traitor would only help us in this case, so would his," Danzo paused, a grimace forming on his face, "tendencies."

"No," said Homura as he glanced at Sarutobi, "Orochimaru is too unstable, too untrustworthy. How do we know he did not assist Kumo in the kidnapping in the first place?"

"He is too egocentric to assist Kumo, if anything he would have taken the girl for himself."

Homura nodded, acquiescing to Danzo's point. He flinched back as the Hokage's flinty gaze turned on him. Swallowing, he said, "Perhaps we should hold off on deciding this until later, the Uchiha as well?"

Koharu raised her hand to cover her laugh at her friends discomfort. "Agreed." Sarutobi's former teammates disappeared from the room with nary a sound.

Sarutobi glared at his rival, the command clear as day on his face.

Danzo coughed into his hand. "I do have to ask, about the jinchuuriki-"

"No." Sarutobi turned back towards the windows overlooking Konoha, closing his eyes as he did so. "We have already failed one young child, I refuse to condemn another to a similar fate."

"Of course. And Sarutobi, I will be putting my men on Orochimaru's trail."

"Danzo-"

"No, old friend, I will not let you squander the mere possibility simply because of your emotions. " Staring at the now tense shoulders of the Sandaime, he said, "If nothing else, keeping an eye on the snake will help us when you finally desire to snuff him out."

"The ANBU are perfectly capable of finding his trail on their own."

"Your ANBU have failed so far. Let us see if mine can succeed where they have not."

The sound of displacing air signaled Danzo's departure, and as the smoke of the Body-Flicker dispersed, Sarutobi let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes to once again stare out across his home.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Uzumaki Naruto leaned forward and kicked off the ground, pushing the swing backwards. The chains clinked as they were pulled taught by the force and the weight of the young boy. In a move passed down on all playgrounds for generations, Naruto leaned backwards as the seat reached its apex, and held that position as it fell forward, only changing when it reached the apex on the other side of the wooden beam that served as the swing's pivot point. He kept up the back and forth motion, held in time to the back and forth motion of the swing itself, for a few more seconds before launching himself out of the seat and into the air. For a few precious moments, he flew, a wide grin across his face and a shriek of happiness held tight in his throat. He landed on his feet, but staggered forward as the momentum of the flight and landing bleed off. Turning around, he crooned in excitement; he'd passed his previous best distance by at least a meter.

Naruto glanced to the other side of the playground and scowled at the gaggle of other children who were screaming and yelling as they chased each other around the jungle gym. They were playing ninja. Naruto had always wanted to join them, but the other kids had not allowed it. They never invited him to join their games, and when he tried to join on his own they stopped doing anything until he left. In retaliation, Naruto had taken the lone swing set in the playground as his. The other children whined, to their parents, to their older siblings, and to each other, but none of it kept Naruto from commandeering the swings whenever they did not let him play with them.

He did not mind, at least too much. All children everywhere knew that swings were the best toy on the playground, so being able to monopolize it whenever he wanted always lifted his spirits. He wasn't deterred by never having a partner, he could kick off hard enough to get the seat over some of the other children's heads – he'd done it before when they had tried to grab the seat and chains to knock him off.

As he flew threw the air again, Naruto's eyes wandered over the other kids again, but this time they widened in shock. His distraction caused him to face plant his landing, but Naruto didn't care. His mind racing at the new face he saw in the group. _Why'd they let that funny-faced kid join them!?_

Growling, he forced himself up, and stalked towards the group. One of the boys, a black haired and eyed youth, noticed his approach and yelled out to the others. The rest of the children slowed to a standstill, eying Naruto warily as he stormed towards them.. "What do you want, dummy," said the same boy who had warned the others, "Can't you see we're playing here!"

Naruto pointed a finger at the object of his ire, who blinked in response to the attention. "Why'd you let him join and not me!"

"Cause he's not you, idiot," shouted one of the girls in a group.

"But those red triangles and weird eyes make him look funny!" The other children looked at each other and shrugged. "And he smells!"

"No I don't," yelled the boy in question. Pushing the other kids out of the way, he stomped towards Naruto with a scowl on his face. Crossing his arms over his chest, he glared down at the slightly smaller boy. "I take a bath every day!"

"Nuhuh, you smell worse than a wet dog!"

The other boy's scowl deepened. "I have to help out at my clan's vet and animal shelter, of course I smell like a dog!"

One of the girls grabbed the sleeve of his shirt, a large grin on her face. "Does that mean you get to play with all the puppies and kitties there, Kiba-kun?"

The other boy, Kiba, grimaced. "Only when I'm done walking them, washing them, and cleaning up after them." His face lit up in a wide smile. "But after all that, I can play with them as much as I want!"

As the other children started asking Kiba questions about the vet and shelter his clan was in charge of, Naruto glared at them all. A growl escaped his throat. It wasn't fair! They were supposed to kick Kiba out of their group, not get excited that he spent his days playing with puppies and kitties. Naruto focused his glare on Kiba, who was laughing and smiling. He was the one at fault; if he hadn't opened his mouth then the other kids would have sent him away! And then they would have accepted Naruto into their group.

_**Perhaps he should be hurt?**_

Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Entering the main gate of Konoha, Inuzuka Tsume rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. Interlocking her fingers, she stretched her arms over her head and behind her back. Twisting side to side, she let out a moan as she felt and heard the joints of her spine pop. Looking down at her partner Kuromaru, she said, "Gonna stretch my legs a bit, don't wait up for me." Nodding in ascent, the one-eyed ninken trotted off towards the Inuzuka clan's compound. Enjoying the view of the sun setting behind the Hokage Monument, Tsume started meandering around the village with no destination in mind.

It had been an exceptionally long day for the pair. Being woken at midnight by ANBU operatives hadn't put the clan leader in a good mood, but hearing that Hiashi's little girl had been kidnapped had woken her up quicker than any cup of coffee could. Getting ready hadn't taken any time at all, and soon Kuromaru and her had been on the trail.

It was unfortunate that not even their noses could help find the kidnapers. Whomever they were, they had been prepared to fight an Inuzuka's incredible sense of smell; false trails and dead ends were common, as were poison and gas traps meant to confuse the senses. The Inuzaka pair and their ANBU escort had been led all over the north-eastern part of the Land of Fire, and had nothing to show for it.

Tsume grimaced, sincerely hoping that she wouldn't be the one tasked with telling Hiashi that his baby girl had disappeared into thin air. The two clan leaders had been occasional teammates for years, and had struck up a casual friendship. They weren't close by any stretch of the imagination, but they had always found it easy to fall into genial conversation whenever the opportunity presented itself. She had come to know the man past his somewhat prickly exterior, and hoped that hearing of his daughter's disappearance would not break him further than his injuries already had; the ANBU had told her his leg bones had been completely shattered, making a complete recovery impossible unless Tsunade herself returned and treated the man. Hiashi didn't deserve such a fate, and neither did his still pregnant wife.

A familiar smell made Tsume stop. Looking around, she saw that she had walked by one of the many parks and playgrounds that littered Konoha, one that her son Kiba was apparently at. Scowling, she started walking towards him and the group of children he was with. "_That brat, I told him to come straight home after school._

She froze in place when she felt a very familiar, very evil chakra. Eyes widening in shock and fear, she watched the small, blonde haired boy that was charging her son with murder in his eyes. _No. No way. This can't be happening!_

Tsume ignored the shrieks of the other children, her attention solely focused on the pair of boys. Her eyes widened even further when the blonde haired one punched Kiba, knocking him back two meters before he fell to the ground. _There's no way he's that strong on his own. _Turning her eyes onto the kid's fists, she saw the red chakra that slightly encased them.

Nodding to herself as she realized he had been enhancing his strength with chakra, Tsume yelped when she felt something bite into her palms. Looking down, she saw that her fingers had transformed into more bestial claws. "Calm yourself, girl," she said as she closed her eyes and undid the transformation. Upon opening them, she saw that her son had managed to get behind the boy. Smirking at the sight of the blonde kid's arm locked behind him in a move she had taught her son only yesterday, she muttered, "Good job, Kiba." She then winced when he kicked the other boy's knees out from under him, making him cry out in pain. "Okay, Tsume, time to get involved."

Forming the Ram handseal, she sped towards the pair with a Body Flicker, appearing in a cloud of smoke right in front of them. Sucking in a breath, she shouted. "KIBA!"

Both boys paused at the shout, and looked up; Kiba yelped in surprise, letting go of the other kid's arm, and started to stammer.

Tsume ignored him. "And what," she growled, "Exactly is going on here." It was not a question, but a command, and she saw both boys shiver at her frosted tone.

Despite this, neither one spoke. Instead, they did their best to avoid meeting her eyes. "Well," she drawled, tapping the fingers of her right hand on her thigh, "I'm waiting."

Finally, Kiba spoke up. "We were fighting."

"Really? I had no idea." She pointed at Kiba's face, and then at the other boy's. "It's not like you don't have a split lip, or weren't holding his arm in a lock I specifically told you not to use outside of training."

Kiba scratched the back of his neck, looking dejected. "Sorry," he mumbled.

One of her eyebrows rose. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, but first." She looked at the blonde boy. "Who are you, runt?"

He glared up at her. "I'm not a runt, you old hag!"

She felt her eyebrows twitch at the insult. "My name, _runt_, is Inuzuka Tsume." She motioned her head towards Kiba, who was trying, and failing, to stifle his laughter. "And that brat you decked – which I still haven't forgive you far, by the way – happens to be my son." Tsume cracked the knuckles on both her hands, a terrifying sneer spreading across her face. "Now, before I grind your bones to dust, who are you?"

He swallowed, suddenly nervous. "Uzumaki Naruto," he mumbled, eyes downcast as he fidgeted.

Tsume eyed the young boy in front of her. She had been briefed like all the other jounin and clan leaders three years ago about the Jinchuuriki, though small details like his name had escaped her. At the time, she had been somewhat indifferent about the baby who held the Kyuubi, neither caring that he existed, or that he would be allowed to live in Konoha.

"Uzumaki Naruto, eh?"She stepped forward until she was right in front of him. Kneeling down, she reached out and grabbed his chin, forcing his head up and looked into his bright, blue eyes. Ignoring his inquisitive look, she turned his head left and right before she let go and sat down on the ground. "So, why exactly did you attack my Kiba?"

He didn't respond for a few moments, but then mumbled, "Cause the other kids let him play ninja."

An eyebrow rose. "So you were jealous?"

Naruto scowled and glared at the ground. "They never let me play ninja with them."

Tsume made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat. Looking up, she motioned Kiba forward. When he was sitting next to Naruto, she said, "Well, I'm sure if you apologize to my son, he'll apologize to you for putting you in that arm lock." She made eye-contact with both boys. "Agreed?"

Kiba and Naruto looked at each other and nodded. "I'm sorry for punching you in the face," said Naruto.

Kiba nodded. "And I'm sorry for using that arm-lock on you."

Tsume closed her eyes and smiled. "Now that that's settled, friends?" When the two boys didn't make a move, she opened her eyes a bit, her smile became strained, and forcefully said, "Friends?"

The two looked at each other. Gulping, they reached out and shook hands. Tsume relaxed, her grin returning to a more natural state.

"Just so you know," said Kiba as the two continued to shake, "I totally would've won that fight."

Naruto yanked his hand out of Kiba's grasp, stood up and pointed at the other boy. "What! No way! I was about tot urn everything around before your mom showed up!"

"No way!"

"Yes way! I'm stronger than you! I would've won!"

"Just knocking me on my butt doesn't mean you're stronger than me!"

"Yes it does!"

"No it doesn't!"

"Yes it does, and I'll prove it!" And with that, Naruto jumped on Kiba again, knocking him to the ground.

Tsume stared as the two boys rolled around, raining punches on the other while they growled and yelled insults. She hung her head, sighing in exasperation. "In one ear and out the other."

When the two passed by her again, Tsume lashed out with her hands, grabbing a hold of the back of both their necks and yanking the two apart. Standing up, she shook both of the boys. Hard. "No. More. Fighting."

"Got it mom."

"Got it, hag."

Scowling, Tsume shook Naruto one more time before dropping the boys back onto the ground. As the two collected themselves, she said, "Kiba, where's your sister?"

"Over here, mom!"

The trio looked over to the other side of the playground. Standing upside down on a swing set, Hana was smiling and waving at them Naruto and Kiba gasped at the sight, pointing their fingers at the girl. Tsume blinked and motioned for her daughter to join them. "Huh, guess your sensei started you on tree climbing earlier than usual."

Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion. "What's tree climbing have to do with standing upside down on something?"

The young girl chuckled as she dropped to the ground, landing in a handstand. With a slight push of her arms, she did a front flip and landed on her feet perfectly before jogging over. "I'll tell you later, kido."

"Really nee-chan," shouted Naruto in excitement, "When?"

"When you have one of these," she said as she pointed to the Konoha headband wrapped around her shoulder. At Naruto's dejected look, she laughed again. "Aren't you the adorable one! Much more so than my brother, at any rate."

Kiba glared at his sister. "Whatever, Hana."

Hana leaned over Kiba, nostrils flaring, and a look of disgust appeared on her face. "He also smells better than you do; when was the last time you took a bath, bro?"

Kiba squawked in protest while Naruto laughed. Tsume sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. "Come on," she said, "Let's go home. Kiba, your taking a bath before dinner, are we clear?"

Kiba grumbled an affirmative, and started walking towards Tsume and a giggling Hana before stopping. Looking over his shoulder at Naruto, he said, "You coming, or what?"

Naruto blinked owlishly. "Really?"

"Sure, you're my friend, right?" Kiba shrugged, looking up at Tsume. "Is it okay if Naruto comes with us?"

Looking down at the two boys, she cocked her head to the side before grinning at both of them and nodding in ascent. Ignoring Naruto's whoop of joy, she turned around and started walking towards her clan's compound, making a mental note to talk with the Hokage as soon as possible about the young Jinchuuriki and his use of the Kyuubi's chakra.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Lord Kawamoto was what many would disparagingly refer to as a "Modern Noble". Despite his advanced age, the large and balding man was a quintessential example of what the nobility had become following the founding of the Hidden Villages barely century ago. His bulk was not the muscles that was expected of a samurai lord, but instead layers of fat that hid rolls within rolls. Although his clan's swords hung at his belt, they were less a deadly weapon in his hands, and more a glorified carving knife. He rarely concerned himself with the intricacies of running his domain. Instead, he spent his days indulging in music and poetry, of which he was admittedly a master.

His appetites were extravagant. Taking the fullest advantage of his domain's location along the eastern coast of the Land of Hot Water, Kawamoto ordered only the finest, most exotic goods to be brought to his table. Food and drink, and women, constantly filtered through the massive dinning room that served dual purpose as his throne room; the sight of the overly large man lounging on a golden and velvet couch plucking sushi off the body of a nude, young woman was not an uncommon one for the various courtiers and visitors. Many couldn't handle themselves, especially when Kawamoto began to sample the young women as well, leading to the man holding court less often, which suited him just fine.

This night was not an exception. Dinner had been an exceptionally excessive affair, but the centerpiece had been the young woman brought for Lord Kawamoto. She was a lithe girl, with a well toned, albeit exceptionally pale, body that spoke of consistent physical activity of some sort. Her hair was long and black, the forelocks partially covering her amber colored eyes and oddly shaped pupils. An enigmatic smile was on her face from the beginning, though some who spied on her throughout the evening swore they saw a cruel smirk adorn her face instead.

Kawamoto had been entranced as soon as his eyes laid upon her. He quickly feasted on the food that covered her form before ordering her to join him on his couch. All through dinner and after he plied his talents in haiku, crafting new poems that praised her raven colored hair, eyes of gold, and flawless skin – the scribe that followed Kawamoto specifically to write down any new poems that came to him filled an entire scroll, front and back, with his master's work. She swooned and giggled when appropriate, and when his large hand and sausage-like fingers came to rest along the curve of her hip, she only smiled up at him and leaned into his side.

Dinner had come and gone, desert had been eaten, and when it was obvious that Lord Kawamoto was more interested in sampling the young thing at his side than resting, guests were led away and the table cleared. Hours had passed since, the light of the stars and moon filtered through the high windows, barely illuminating the lord and his prize.

She moaned as his hands trailed down her back and cupped her buttocks. "Kawamoto-sama, please."

"Please what, my pet," he said, leering down at her form. Her front was pressed firmly against his body – he could feel the slight swell of her breasts through his clothes – and her head was thrown back, allowing him to see the clenched eyes and the small mouth that was barely open. He traced his right hand around her thigh, resting it in front of her womanhood. Slowly, he entered her with his middle finger.

She gasped, before letting out a guttural moan that sent shivers down the noble's spine. "Please, Kawamoto-sama, don't take me here." He felt her tighten around his finger, gyrating her hips against his hand. "Wouldn't it better in your bed; after all, I am a virgin."

Kawamoto's eyes gleamed; he hadn't tasted a virgin in so long. She was right, it would be best to have her in his chambers. "Ninja," he snapped out, "Escort my guest to my my private chambers." His eyes glanced to the right, spying the sleeping form of his scribe. "And wake that lazy wretch and get him to draw me a bath."

"I will see you soon, Kawamto-sama," said the girl, carefully pronouncing every syllable of his name.

He shivered again. "And I you, my pet."

Escaping his grasp, the black-haired girl sent a smokey look at the lord, giggling at the wanton lust that spread across his face. Slowly, she strutted towards the door of the room where the shinobi guard waited. A wicked grin spread across her face as she felt the eyes of Kawamoto track her progress. _Over indulgent fool._

She heard a derisive snort. Her eyes snapped up to look at the shinobi; he was of average height with a standered jumpsuit and Yugakure issue flak jacket and forehead protector. "Is there a problem, shinobi-san?"

The guard rolled his eyes and opened the door for her to the long hallway that ran throughout this level of the castle. When they both left, he locked it behind him and started walking down it. She followed him, a fox-like grin making its way to her face as she studied the guards back.

A few moments of quiet passed before the guard broke the silence. "You're just another notch for him."

A delicate eyebrow was raised in question, and a smirk came to her face. "Oh," she said playfully, "I was so hoping I'd last more than a single night for Kawamoto-sama."

The shinobi snorted again and looked over his shoulder at his temporary charge. "He's had girls like you before. He will spend the night, perhaps a week, with you before growing bored and hunting down his next meal."

She covered her mouth as she giggled. "But I have so many flavors, shinobi-san."

"Doesn't matter," he said, turning his head forwards. "Kawamoto will have you, he will break you, and then he will discard you."

A wide smile appeared on her face. "I rather enjoy it, the breaking that is."

"but didn't you tell him that you're a virgin?"

She couldn't see his face, but she could just imagine the confusion on his face as he said that,a dn was unable to control her laughter. "I never said it was the hymen I enjoyed breaking."

"Wha-"

She did not let the Yugakure ninja finish. Stepping forward quickly, she snapped her arms upwards towards his head. Channeling chakra into them allowed the appendages to stretch to an abnormal length. Grasping a hold of his head, she violently twisted the shinobi's neck until his face was facing her own.

"Trash," she whispered, dropping the dead body to the floor. Retracting her arms as she stepped towards the corpse, she rummaged through the pouches on his flak jacket until she found the rectangular block of wood that was the seal key to the office of Kawamoto's primary adviser and steward.

Not bothering to hide the body, she ran towards and up the high walls until she reached one of the open windows. Grabbing onto the edge, she flipped herself through it. Using chakra, she stuck to the outside walls of the castle, racing upwards to the highest floor where the office was located.

She stopped herself cold when she reached another window. Peeking inside, she smirked at not seeing any posted sentries. Hopping through the window, she landed with a crouch in front of the office door. Channeling chakra through the seal key, she placed it on the door. After a few moments, a click was heard as the lock disengaged. Widely grinning, she pushed open the double doors to the office, and was met with a robe thrown at her face.

"You look disgusting, Orochimaru, put that on before I vomit."

Scowling, Orochimaru glared at her former teammate. "Jiraiya." A sly look came across her face. Striking a pose that showed of her entire figure, she sent him a sultry look. "The legendary super pervert isn't interested in my body at all? I'm hurt. Almost."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "And my brain and stomach hurt the longer I see you wearing that skin, so get that robe on before I force it on you."

Orochimaru cooed, and appeared in front of him. Grabbing one of his hands, she shoved it between her thighs. "Are you sure? This might be the only chance you have to sleep with one of your teammates." She reveled at the disgusted look she had been aiming for spread across his face.

Glaring at the transformed Snake Sannin, Jiraiya yanked his hand out of Orochimaru's grasp and punched at her face. With a twirl, the Snake Sannin dodged the punch with a giggle. "Stop wasting my time," he said. Reaching into his kimono, he removed a scroll and tossed it at her. "It's a request from the Old Man about the Hyuuga kidnapping a few months ago."

Catching the scroll, Orochimaru unsealed it, curious as to what her former teacher wanted. She quickly read the whole thing, the inquisitive look on her face quickly transforming into one of extreme mirth. "Interesting. Very, _very_, interesting."

"Great," said Jiraiya in a deadpan manner. "Fantastic, even. Now that my job's done, I'm getting the hell out of here."

"Oh? Not going to stay and commiserate for a while longer?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "Nah, that cute little viper of yours has just about finished dealing with that idiot Kawamoto, and you still have to find what you came for." The large man walked towards the still open doors. "I get the feeling we'll be seeing more of each other soon enough anyway."

Orochimaru nodded. "True enough." As Jiraiya was about to exit the room, she called out. "How exactly did you get past the seal? I spent days trying to figure out the matrix, but nothing."

Jiraiya paused, turning his head around he gave the Snake Sannin a cocky grin. "Cause I'm just that much more of a badass than you are, Snake-freak." A cloud of smoke appeared around the other Sannin, and when it dispersed he was gone.

Orochimaru rolled her eyes at the Toad Sannin's antics. Even after her betrayal and flight from Konoha, she had remained relatively close with her former teammates. They rarely met, and when they did it was almost always a tense affair, though not always on the surface; the Sannin had known each other for decades, their relationship was so far beyond professional it came across as the exact opposite to just about everyone else.

Wrapping the robe around her body, Orochimaru tucked the Third's scroll into one of its pockets. As she quickly moved through the room, her mind wandered to other message she had recently received. Like the one Jiraiya had given her, it too was from a Kage, albeit from Kumo instead of Konoha.

Finding what she came for, Orochimaru tucked into the robe and left the room, not bothering to close the doors. Both messages would require careful consideration, especially if she wanted to take advantage of her now fortuitous position.

A demented grin spread across her face. Laughter erupted from her throat that soon turned to mad cackles that reverberated through the masterless castle.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

The inn had a humble beginning. Built near the border of the Land of Earth following the First Shinobi World War, it was meant to serve as a waypoint for travelers and the odd merchant or two. Its founder, a retired Konoha shinobi named Jiro, had desired a place that was out of the way enough to avoid the traffic of the major roads between the two nations so he could enjoy his retirement in peace. His choice of constructing the inn at the conjunction of two minor roads and an old caravan path would prove to not be the best decision.

As the years of peace moved on, an ever increasing amount of economic ties were made between the nobles Earth and Fire. The merchants under their command, looking to cut costs wherever they could, began to use older, less traveled routes to transport their goods. At first it was a trickle, but when word spread of the convenient crossroads, Jiro's inn became flooded with merchants and their entourage.

Although resentful, Jiro did not miss the opportunity this presented. Hiring many of his former comrades from the war, he expanded his inn in size and scope. It literally changed overnight from a small, somewhat ramshackle building to a pristine, four story domicile that could house hundreds per night. Stables were built, food stores were expanded, wells dug, and contracts were signed with Konoha to provide a constant security force of ninja.

Like moths to a flame, people looking for opportunity and wealth traveled to Jiro's inn, and began to settle around it. Blacksmiths and tailors, farmers and ranchers, lawyers and doctors. Very soon, the crossroads had evolved into a small but bustling town, all centered around the inn that had started it all. So when it was decided that a name had to be attached to the collective, Jirozushi was the first, last, and only choice.

As the decades marched on, the city continued to grow. The Second Shinobi World War did little to break the flow of immigrants. If anything, they accelerated it as Jirozushi was soon close to the boarders of three satellite nations and Hidden Villages formed during and after the Second War: The Land of Grass, Amegakure, and Takigakure. It's proximity to the front lines during the Third Shinobi World War turned the city into one of the primary staging points for Konoha and allied forces, necessitating even more expansion.

Through it all, the inn – now named after its founder Jiro – that had been the gene seed remained.

For Tsunade, however, very little of this history mattered to her. She knew it, had even lived it during the Second War, but it was pointless knowledge to the buxom blonde. Knocking back another mouthful of sake, reveling in the burning sensation it left behind as it ran down her throat, she let out a loud belch that shook the bottles behind the bar. The other customers ignored her; it wasn't the first time she had ignored good drinking etiquette that night, and was unlikely to be the last.

The young looking woman tilted her head back as she poured the rest of the bottle down her throat, shaking it to make sure she didn't miss any of its precious liquid. Certain it was now empty, Tsunade held it upside down in front of her face, signaling the barkeep that it was empty, and that she wanted another.

The heavyset man that slid over had a scowl on his face as he eyed the empty bottle. Reaching under the counter, he produced another and set it down in front of the blonde. When she made to reach for it, however, he did not let go. "You've gone through twenty of my best already," he said, gripping the bottle tighter as he did so, "Clear your tab, or I'm cutting you off for the night."

Tsunade glared at him, hand clenching tight enough to crack the empty bottle she still held. Smirking, she applied a bit more pressure and shattered it. Shards flew as her neighboring customers fled. Her eyes flicked to both sides as she felt the sudden presence of the chuunin bouncers surround her. She met the gaze of the barkeep, who hadn't flinched at all during the spectacle. Growling in frustration, she dropped hands to her waist and the purse that was attached to it. "Fine, how much do I owe?"

Without missing a beat, the barkeep replied, "37,000 for the bottles, this one included. Required gratuity of 5,000." His eyes flickered to the mess of shards along his bar. "And an extra 1,000 for cleaning up your mess."

Her glare deepened as she added everything up. Tsunade was tempted, oh so very tempted, to wipe that calm look off the man's face. But she knew she couldn't do that with the chuunin squad around her, at least not without revealing _who_ she was, and causing massive amounts of property damage. Neither one was something Tsunade wanted. She had finally been able to ditch the old monkey's minders a few months ago, and she was in no hurry to get back on his radar. There was also Shizune to consider, who had been so patient with her master as they had trekked through woods and backwater villages since giving their watchers the slip. The girl deserved some time to reacquaint herself with civilization after all of that.

Sighing, Tsunade pulled out a wad of bills. Counting out the exact amount she owed, she slammed the stack down on the counter before pushing towards the barkeep. Letting go of the unopened bottle, he recounted the money, holding some of the bills up to a light to check for counterfeits. Nodding in approval, he motioned for the chuunin squad to disperse as he meandered towards the other side of the bar.

The presence of ninjas had disappeared, only to be replaced by the stares of the other patrons. Glaring around her, Tsunade got up from the bar and stalked over to the many booths that littered the walls of the bar. As she entered one, she grabbed a hold of the curtains on either side and threw them shut, blocking the stares and shrouding her in darkness. She waited until the sounds of the bar picked up again before sitting down on the carpeted floor and leaning back against the wall, grabbing a few pillows to make herself comfortable. With a lazy hand seal, she shot a small jet of fire at the lone candle to light it, before opening the bottle with her thumb.

Sipping the drink, Tsunade cursed the barkeep, the chuunin squad, her old teacher, and, most importantly, herself. Her current binge had cost her too much; she barely had enough cash left to pay for the room at the inn, let alone any of the things that Shizune would want to do while in town. Her apprentice would be disappointed in her, again, and that it was the anniversary of Dan's death would be of no help; if anything, it would only make Shizune pity her master instead.

Tsunade didn't want that. She hated pity, but she hated disappointing her pseudo-daughter even more. One would think she would've gotten used to it by now, since even after years of traveling together that was always what ended up happening. Grimacing, she swallowed a few mouthfuls of sake. _Maybe I can find some work in this place?_

Even before leaving Konoha, rich merchants and nobles were always falling over their feet to get the legendary Tsunade to be their personal doctor, if only for a day. When she left, Tsunade had felt that it was high time to start doing things her way. And while that was true, selling her hard earned medical knowledge and skills had left a bad taste in her mouth. The whole process made her feel like a whore, albeit a very well paid one; the funds gained from curing the son of a highly regarded noble in the Fire Lord's court of his pneumonia had lasted the two kunoichi for almost half a year.

Tsunade paused in her drinking and contemplation as a shadow of something fell over her alcohol-addled mind. Frowning, she glanced around her, not noticing anything different about the booth. Leaning over, she slightly opened the curtain and peered at the bar. Again, nothing seemed out of place. Scowling now, she stepped out of the booth and left the bar, making her way towards the entrance of the inn. Tucking the bottle of sake under her arm, she flashed through a series of handseals. When finished the haze caused by her binge disappeared completely. Mind now sharp and focused, Tsunade allowed her feet to lead her around the inn and deeper into the city.

Someone had cast a genjutsu on her, and not a particularly good one at that. _Either it's some idiot trying to make a name for themselves, or someone wants to talk. _She hoped it was the former, but either way whomever was responsible was going to get beaten into the ground. Hard. Consequences be damned.

As she entered the warehouse district she felt the genjutsu lift. Eying her surroundings, she noticed a figure standing in the middle of one of the loading zones for caravans. He was tall, with medium length black hair that was kept from his eyes by a forehead protector. He wore a regulation jumpsuit and a flak jacket, though without the typical pouches used to hold scrolls or other tools of the trade. He was also lacking in any obvious weapons, not even a kunai or shurinken holster. As Tsunade walked towards the man, she was able to discern the stylized clouds on the headband, and the scratched in line that ran through them.

_Missing nin, great._ Scum that traitors were, rarely were they stupid enough to provoke anyone needlessly. Though she was hankering for a fight, she began to wonder why this ex-Kumo-nin had decided to bother her.

She also carefully ignored the voice in her head that told her she was technically a missing-nin as well. There would be plenty of time in the future to contemplate that particular and unfortunate fact.

Tsunade stopped roughly a dozen meters away from the stranger. "So," she said, crossng her arms under her breasts and giving the man a lazy glare, "What did you call me out here for?"

"My Master wished to speak with you, Tsunade-sama." His tone was quiet and respectful. He met her glare with his own gaze; his dark brown eyes met Tsunade's lighter ones without a hint of fear or worry, but instead a calm confidence. "He has a proposition for you."

Tsunade snorted. "Great, another ancient codger that wants me to cure his ails. Better hope he's willing to pay out the ass for this stunt, brat, or it'll be coming out of your ass. "

"My master is very insistent on hiring you, Tsunade-sama, price is no object."

"Great. Lead me to him then and-"

"However, he wishes to see your skills tested beforehand."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. Lowering her arms so they hung by her side, she began to flood her body with chakra, reinforcing muscles and joints. "And which skills would those be?"

"All of them." The man's eyes snapped open and he fell into a taijutsu stance. Not even a half-second later and he was rocketing forward, closing the distance between them at a breakneck speed.

Tsunade dropped to the ground, chakra enhanced fists hit the stone and shattered it around the Sannin. A kick sent one of the larger blocks flying at her attacker, who dodged the impromptu missile with ease. It cost him forward momentum, however, which Tsunade used to throw herself backwards to widen the gap between the two ninja. She landed in front of a weighing station in a crouch, quickly standing up and entering her own taijutsu stance.

_His form favored the backleg, that means speed is the key. Probably a variant of _Northern Lightning_ that's heavy on the kicks and jabs. His hands are in a perfect position to start making handseals too, so he likely has an affinity for air, lightning, or fire; air's out since he doesn't have a weapon and forming air around a body part is a bitch in the middle of combat, so that leaves fire or lightning. _Tsunade gave a savage grin. _Let's find out which. _

Her thoughts ended as soon as the other ninja entered her striking distance, almost three seconds after she'd kicked the stone block at his face. Tsunade's hands flashed out, grabbing a hold of the man's foot and halting the kick aimed at her head. With a pivot, she attempted to bash him against the weighing station, but a seamless substitution ended with a stone block in her grasp instead. Lifting it like one might a sword, Tsunade finished making a complete turn. Catching the eye of her opponent, she smirked. With a heav, she sent the block hurtling towards him at speeds faster than most people, and most ninja, would not have been able to follow. Channeling more chakra to her legs, she kicked off the ground and followed her improvised weapon at a run.

Her opponent's eyes widened in shock, and his hands quickly flashed through a series of handseals. He was not quick enough, however, for Tsunade to not see which ones he made: Tiger, Monkey, Boar, Horse, and Tiger again. Tsunade's smile took a grim tone. _Gotcha._

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Even before he had finished releasing his ninjutsu, Tsunade had jumped onto the flying stone block. Sticking her hands and feet to the flat side, she used her body to shift the block to better protect her body as it flew threw the large fireball. Laughing, she detached herself from the block. Gathering chakra into her fist, she punched it, the force of the impact blasting the encroaching flames away from her body, and shattering the large block into much smaller pieces that were hurtled towards her opponent at an even greater speed than before.

The man somehow managed to avoid all the debris, which suited Tsunade just fine. Landing into a roll to reduce her momentum, she rose up into an uppercut that hit her opponent's chin. Her smirk of victory was snuffed out when, instead of feeling contact with human skin, she felt the release of chakra. A popping noise and the appearance of smoke clued her in to what kind of clone she had destroyed. Raking her eyes over the battlefield, she caught sight of her opponent just as he let loose a bullet made of fire.

Grimacing, Tsunade held her ground at the oncoming attack. Raising her right hand, she cut off the nerve endings on her entire arm. A few seconds later and she caught the fire bullet. Tsunade let it burn her hand and forearm for a few moments before forming a one-handed Tiger seal and spitting out a bullet of water, dousing the flames.

"Why?" Tsunade looked to her left at her opponent, whose visage reminded her so much of a confused puppy that she had to stifle a giggle from escaping her throat.

Tsunade raised a delicate eyebrow, a mocking smile on her face as she wiggled her fingers at the ex-Kumo shinobi. "Didn't your boss want to see _all_ of my skills?" Turning her head away from him, she focused on her damaged hand. Gathering chakra into her undamaged hand, she activated the Mystical Palm Technique and ran it over the damaged tissue.

Medical ninjutsu were something of a double-edged sword. While techniques like Mystical Palm allowed for the recipients body to hasten the healing process by allowing for new cell growth to close wounds and heal almost any injury, they did so by lowering the person's life expectancy. Cells can only be divided so many times before cell degradation lead to the inevitable death of the organism. For most ninja, this was more of a career hurdle than an actual danger to their life; monthly checkups were required by most of the hidden villages for its ninja corps, and members who were showing signs of slowing down due to general health and past injuries were assigned less physically intensive mission, or even forced into retirement. This was why the majority of combat ninja were in their teens and early twenties – they had yet to receive career debilitating _treatment_ for their injuries. There were exceptions to the norm, but they tended to be the 'once in a generation genius', or just that damn lucky.

When Tsunade was beginning her study of medical ninjutsu she was determined that none of her patients would be forced into early retirement because she healed their injuries. She threw herself into learning not just the techniques, but also the human body. Genetics, evolution, physiology, epidemiology, and nutrition were but some of the fields that she became an unquestionable expert in on her path to master human biology and medicine.

The result of all her studying was a medic ninja who did not simply perform the techniques, but was able to heal individual cells without forcing them to divide. When Tsunade applied the Mystical Palm to an injury, she used the precise amount of chakra needed to reconstruct the damaged cells one by one. More than anything else, this was what made Tsunade a legend.

Looking at pink, healed skin with a critical eye, nodding when she didn't notice any more damaged skin. Deactivating the healing technique, she threw a cocky look at the other ninja. "Anything else?"

Before the man could respond, a boisterous laugh filled the square. Another person appeared next to the former Kumo shinobi without a sound. "You're as good as expected, Tsunade-sama," said an upbeat male voice.

Tsunade studied the newcomer. He was wearing a short, black robe with a green trim, dark pants, and a black and white belt. A hood was raised over his head, casting a shadow over the top half of his face that hid it from view. A wide smile could be seen on his face, and if the sun was out Tsunade had the distinct feeling that his teeth would be glinting.

"Sir-"

The grinning man waved a hand. "You can go now, you've accomplished exactly what I wanted you to. I wont be long, so go on ahead to the meeting point, 'kay?" The former Kumo-nin hesitated, before nodding a disappearing with a seamless Body Flicker. "Sorry about that, his stoicy-ness and all. I'm trying to get him to stop being such a stick in the mud, but nothing's taken yet."

Tsunade glanced bemusedly at him. "He seemed quite taken with you, called you his 'Master'."

He laughed again, scratching the back of his head. "Really? Damn, gotta up the ante." An easy smile came across his face. "He is right, though I prefer being a 'leader' to a 'master'; too many bad connotations."

"Well then, Leader-sama," Tsunade drawled, "What did you want to talk to me about."

The man hummed under his breath, reaching into his robe and pulling out a storage scroll. He tossed it at Tsunade. "A proposition."

Tsunade caught the scroll, eyebrow raised in question. "And that proposition would be?"All the other man was grin, motioning with his hands for her to continue. Rolling her eyes, she snapped open the scroll, which automatically expelled its contents into Tsunade's hands.

It was a cloak, long and black with wide sleeve and a red trim. If her fingers were anything to go by, it was also armored and contained numerous pockets and pouches of various sizes. What caught Tsunade's attention, however, were the blood red clouds that covered the cloak, front and back.

Looking back up at the man, confusion plain to see on her face. His grin grew even wider, and he threw back his hood to reveal a head of spiky orange hair. Tsunade met his gaze, bright blue eyes seemingly looking into her very soul.

"Peace, Tsunade-sama. My proposition is peace."


End file.
